Many companies are suffering from the corona pandemic, which has been going on for two years.

This can be measured by many factors, even if the number of insolvencies fell in 2021.

For example, the self-employed and micro-entrepreneurs are still reporting a poor order situation.

This is the result of a survey by the credit checker Schufa Holding AG from January.

Around half of those surveyed say they have fewer orders than in 2019, the last year before the pandemic began.

This was stated in detail by 48 percent of the 505 self-employed and 47 percent of the 300 micro-enterprises surveyed.

Kerstin Papon

Editor in Business.

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According to their own statements, just over half of those surveyed in both groups drew on reserves during the pandemic period.

On the other hand, 14 percent of the self-employed and 21 percent of companies let payments and installments (except rent) be deferred.

In the case of a deferral, a payment is postponed to a later date, the creditor waives his claim until then.

If, for example, the installments of a loan are deferred, interest and principal are not paid for the time being.

A deferral should only serve to bridge the short-term tight liquidity situation of a debtor.

However, many respondents also had the opposite experience: almost a third of the self-employed and 44 percent of the micro-enterprises stated that customers had paid their bills late.

Despite the pandemic, the number of insolvent companies in Germany fell to around 14,300 last year, according to estimates by the credit agency Creditreform - the lowest level since the introduction of the insolvency code in 1999. However, looking at the insolvency figures for the past two years, the state aid and temporary special regulations, not having to file for insolvency - due to Corona or heavy rain and the floods in summer.

Far from normalization

"Despite numerous easing, we are still a long way from normalization," says Schufa board member Ole Schröder.

For the majority of small businesses, it's down to the substance.

Despite the difficult economic situation, companies serviced their loans reliably.

In January, Schufa saved at least one negative attribute for only 9.3 percent of tradespeople, freelancers or registered merchants in Germany.

This value is consistently below the two previous years, said Schröder.

Many people are also suffering from the pandemic, measured solely by the financial consequences.

This is shown, for example, by another regular, representative survey by Schufa. According to this, the proportion of Germans who have a lower household income due to the pandemic has fallen from 39 percent in November to 33 percent most recently.

However, more than a third of those surveyed stated that they were financially restricted in the current situation and had to postpone planned major purchases.

A third had to fall back on savings.

10 percent of respondents said they borrowed money from family or friends.

The proportion of those who have difficulties in repaying this loan has risen from 54 to 62 percent compared to November.

Around half of the self-employed and micro-enterprises surveyed are worried about the future.

Many fear higher taxes.

They also believe that the general price increase is having a negative effect.

However, most of them consider the existence of their own company to be “still secure” despite the circumstances.